Apartment Investment & Management was a leading decliner within the real estate industry, falling 78 cents (-2.9%) to $26.16 on heavy volume.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Apartment Investment & Management ( AIV) pushed the Real Estate industry lower today making it today's featured Real Estate laggard. The industry as a whole was unchanged today. By the end of trading, Apartment Investment & Management fell 78 cents (-2.9%) to $26.16 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 4.2 million shares of Apartment Investment & Management exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.4 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $26.06-$27.13 after having opened the day at $27.13 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $26.94. Other companies within the Real Estate industry that declined today were: Marlin Business Services ( MRLN), down 6.3%, InnSuites Hospitality ( IHT), down 4.7%, Gramercy Capital Corporation ( GKK), down 4.5%, and Amrep Corporation ( AXR), down 4.2%.

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Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO) is a real estate investment manager. The firm engages in the acquisition, ownership, management, and redevelopment of apartment properties. It invests in real estate markets of United States. The firm primarily invests in apartment properties. Apartment Investment & Management has a market cap of $3.88 billion and is part of the financial sector. The company has a P/E ratio of -22.6, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 16.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are five analysts that rate Apartment Investment & Management a buy, three analysts rate it a sell, and five rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Apartment Investment & Management as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, compelling growth in net income and revenue growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company's profit margins have been poor overall.